GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.- The Colorado Mesa University women's soccer team will look to book their ticket to the RMAC Championship as they face off against the Regis Rangers, who are the top seeds and hosts of the remaining games.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at the Regis Turf Fields. The game will be livestreamed on the RMAC Network and will have live stats available as well.
Last Time Out
The Mavs hosted the Fort Lewis Skyhawks in the RMAC Quarterfinals, where they won in a tight, defensive battle 1-0.
Jenelle Arenibas scored the game-winning goal in the 110th minute to send the Mavs to Denver for the semifinals.
Keely Wieczorek only managed one save on the day, but she rewrote the history books once again with her 45th career shutout, a new RMAC record.
Tournament Format/Results
Friday, Oct. 30
#7 Westminster vs. #8 Colorado Christian 2-1
Sunday, Nov. 1
#4 Colorado Mesa vs. #5 Fort Lewis 1-0 (OT)
#2 UCCS vs. #7 Westminster 3-1
#3 Colorado School of Mines vs. #6 Black Hills State 2-1
Wednesday, Nov. 4
#1 Regis vs. #4 Colorado Mesa 1 p.m.
#2 UCCS vs. #3 Colorado School of Mines 4 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 7
Winner of Semifinal 1 and Semifinal 2 4 p.m.
The tournament consists of the top eight teams in the RMAC, all earning a spot in the tournament based off points.
The winner of this tournament will receive an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, which will begin on Nov. 13. The selection show for the NCAA Tournament game will be on Nov. 9.
In terms of the region, six teams from the South-Central region will get a bid to the dance. This includes the winners of the RMAC and Lone Star Conference tournaments as well as four other at-large bids determined by the NPI Rankings.
Mavs History of the Tournament
CMU has been competing in the RMAC Tournament since 1996 and have made 25 appearances. They've won the regular season title five times and the tournament itself twice, with the last time being in 2023.
The Mavs have also appeared in the NCAA Tournament seven times and have a record of 5-6-1 in the dance. Their best result came in 2023 when they made it to the third round.
The Numbers
The Mavs have scored 27 times this season and are scoring 1.50 goals per game. They've seen great offensive production from Ellie Duncan, Olivia Bariao-Arce and Arenibas, who scored the lone goal in the game against Fort Lewis.
The team will also look upon Parker Mairs, Brooklyn Baird, Katelyn Romano and Angelina Kazinec for support on the offensive front.
The defense has once again been stout, allowing 12 goals this season, which is third-best in the RMAC. They allow less than a goal per game, which is also third-best in the RMAC.
Two-time RMAC Defender of the Week Olivia Barrett leads the defense alongside minutes leader Sarah Dunn, Ella Speerschneider and Kylie Hoffman. Savanah Miller and Averi Larson have contributed to this stout defense as well.
Wieczorek rounds out the defense as she has 56 saves on 140, good for a save percentage of 0.824. She now leads the RMAC in shutouts with ten.
About Regis
The top-seeded Rangers concluded a dominant regular season, going an unbeaten 11-0-1 in conference play and winning their first regular season title since 2017. They've gone on a 16-game unbeaten streak, with their only blemish being against the Mavericks when they drew 1-1.
The Rangers offense has scored 41 goals this season with their leading goal scorer being Fernanda Rodriguez, who has the second-most goals in the RMAC with 17.
Paula Igual, Brooke Castillo, Paige Davis, Renata Larracilla and Elsa Nolen have also added to the goal total and will be looked upon by head coach Jeff Frykholm.
However, it is the defense that has been utterly dominant. The unit has only conceded an RMAC-leading nine goals this season and will look to keep the Mavs off the scoreboard.
The defense is led by minutes leader Gianna Sparaco alongside Brielle Bickham, Brooklyn Bailey and Addysen Gasser. Alysah Messenger and Addy Borgmeier provide stability off the bench for one of the best defenses in the region.
Goalkeeper Maddie Payne has had a season to remember between the sticks. The Overland Park, Kansas native leads the RMAC in goals against average (0.46), saves (84) and save percentage (.923). She has also won RMAC Goalkeeper of the Week four times in a row, making her the premier goalkeeper of the RMAC.
Take a Look Ahead
The winner of this game will take on the winner of UCCS and Colorado School of Mines in the RMAC Championship on Nov 7. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. at the Regis Turf Fields.
